


Slip and Fall...

by Potatoe_Knight



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Umbrella Scene (Miraculous Ladybug), it's a parallel, not the same one though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-27
Updated: 2020-01-10
Packaged: 2020-03-20 13:43:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18993799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Potatoe_Knight/pseuds/Potatoe_Knight
Summary: Marinette really should have brought her umbrella. But she forgot again.Both Adrien and Marinette fall in love again.





	1. Rain

Marinette knew she should have been paying attention to where she was going.

Scratch that. She should have brought an umbrella to school today.

Or looked at the forecast. Or run back to grab her umbrella when she noticed that it was overcast. Or have gotten out the door quicker. Or set her alarm earlier so she wouldn’t have to rush so much to get to school that she didn’t bother heading back for even so much as a jacket. Or not have stayed up so late that she slept through her alarm. Or done her homework earlier so she didn’t stay up late trying to complete it. Or…

Well, there was a _lot_ she could have done to avoid this.

But the fact remained unchanged. The outcome was the same.

Marinette forgot her umbrella. And let’s go from there, shall we?

* * *

 

Marinette had barely registered that it was raining at all.

It wasn’t until she was just about to step out the door that she noticed there was rain. Not to mention that it was _pouring._

Not a sprinkle, not a drizzle, not a shower. But _pouring._

Something lighter, and she wouldn’t have minded nearly so much. She did live only across the street, after all. But with it pouring so heavily… she would be soaked even if she made a dash for it.

Marinette gingerly tested the rain water coming off the roof with her hand. It wasn’t exactly a warm summer shower, but it was far from frigid. She shouldn’t catch a cold if she went out into it.

That’s what made her make her decision. She would run for it.

Hunkering down, hands gripping her backpack, Marinette pushed out into the rainfall. She only kept her eyes at the height she needed to not run into anyone or the street.

It wasn’t particularly fast. It was less of a run and more of a _jog_. Still, there was an undeniable hurry to her speed. Balancing in between hurrying and staying out of other’s way, Marinette didn’t exactly pay too much attention to the ground directly in front of her.

So when she stepped unwittingly on a puddle over a rather smooth piece of ground, coupled with Marinette’s natural clumsiness, it was really no surprise that she slipped.

It was a moment of panic. Exhilarating as it was to fall backwards without restraint, she was afraid and flailed her arms, anticipating the instant she would hit the ground. She cringed as the water droplets from the sky which she had done her best to avoid covered her face and shirt and all the front of her.

Until it all suddenly stopped at once.

Marinette blinked once, trying to register what had just happened. She noticed one thing at a time.

She wasn’t dry, but no more rain was falling on her.

She was _not_ on the cold, hard ground. Rather, something slightly cushy while still firm was wrapped around her waist, supporting her weight.

Last, but _certainly_ not least, she was looking at Adrien.

She let a little sigh at that. _He’s such a dream._

Before she put it all together. She had slipped, and would have fallen completely to the ground, except that someone had stepped in. Since apparently someone was holding her up, and she was looking at Adrien…

Adrien was holding her.

 

That was the moment Marinette couldn’t decide if she would rather have this be a dream or not. While on one hand, she was being held by Adrien… she felt like she would explode from happiness if this went on any longer.

So, despite wanting to remain lost in his eyes a moment longer, she started to bend herself forward into a standing position. Though Adrien wasn’t paying too much attention at first, so they bumped their heads.

“Sorry,” they both said in automatic unison.

After getting themselves into standing positions underneath the umbrella, Marinette started ~~stuttering~~ speaking. “Th-thanks for that, Adrien. I-I wouldn’t want to have fallen on the ground.”

Adrien smiled shyly, looking at her bashfully. “I-I wouldn’t want that either.”

Marinette practically gaped. _Adrien_ was stuttering around _her_?

Trying to disguise her partial slip up and awe, Marinette rambled. “Thanks. You’re really great! I mean, because you caught me and all. It’s not like I think that about you in general. Not that you aren’t! And I’m a mess. I slipped up- hehe _slipped_ up- and forgot an umbrella this morning and started running home so that I wouldn’t get soaked and it’s already too late to prevent that especially because I slipped but you caught me so we’re good- at least I am, I don’t know about you- and now we’re under your umbrella and- YOUR UMBRELLA! I didn’t give you back your umbrella from the beginning of the school year! I _had_ an umbrella and plenty of reason to bring it. Are you sure you’re okay with getting a new one? Even if you are, I should have returned it because that’s the right thing to do and-”

Adrien stopped her by putting a finger over her lips. Marinette stared at it and barely registered his words. “Marinette. It’s okay. Really. You can keep this one, too.”

Marinette somehow managed to focus enough to give him a cohesive response in return. “But I live just across the street.” She had managed to get to not-quite the edge of the street and crosswalk.

“But I only have four meters to walk to my car,” Adrien pointed out. “Have a good day, Marinette.” He waved at her and walked out from under the umbrella, ducking because she held it at her height and not his.

“Y-you too!” She called back.

That was _wonderful._ Sure, it wasn’t great that she was so forgetful and clumsy, but right now, she was thinking… maybe it wasn’t too bad after all.

Marinette was wistfully watching him go back to his car. About halfway there, he turned back around. “Remember to be careful in the rain, Marinette. If you aren’t, you could slip and fall.”

 _In love_ , her mind helpfully supplied.

As if she weren’t already. But now, maybe just _more_ so.

* * *

 Adrien walked out just behind Marinette. She was feeling the water that was pouring off the roof even more than the rain itself was otherwise.

He continued to keep an eye on her while opening his umbrella.

She clenched her fists with determination, and gripped the straps of her backpack. Evidently, though, she had no umbrella.

Adrien was about to speak up and offer to escort her home out of the rain when she dashed out into it.

“Dash” was a generous term. While she was going fast enough to not be confused with walking, it wasn’t very fast at all.

Adrien began heading in the same direction. The traffic that the rain had caused forced his guard to park nearly in the intersection closest to Marinette’s house.

With the rate she was going, and Adrien’s longer legs and quick pace, he almost kept completely up with her.

That’s why he was only five feet away when she slipped in the puddle. Instinctively, Adrien rushed forward and somehow managed to grab her before she could complete the journey to the ground. As he wrapped his arm around her waist, he almost slipped and fell himself from the momentum, but somehow he didn’t.

They ended up with Adrien supporting Marinette’s weight by holding her with one hand, him holding his umbrella above their heads, and Marinette’s foot still high in the air. And most notably, their noses were only inches apart.

That close, he started to notice details about her that he hadn’t before. Like her eyes being the same shade as Ladybug’s. And her hair.

Adrien tried to stop thinking about it. Not that he would mind if Marinette was Ladybug. She was great. But she didn’t want anyone to know her identity. So he wouldn’t look for her.

Still, it got into his mind… maybe she would be just as nice to be around as Ladybug. They were good friends, but Adrien wished they could be closer.

Marinette blinked, disturbing his stare into her irises. Then, one moment longer, and she was breathing again. Adrien was lost in her eyes again as she started to move forward to get up, not registering quickly enough to help by moving out of the way and getting up himself.

Their foreheads knocked together. “Sorry,” Adrien said immediately, without a thought. He registered that Marinette had done the same. And he was inexplicably happy about it.

Trying to ignore these thoughts, he helped Marinette get to her feet with ease underneath the umbrella. Not that it mattered much. She was already soaking wet from her brief time in the rain.

“Th-thanks for that, Adrien. I-I wouldn’t want to have fallen on the ground.” Marinette stuttered over her words.

He was still in Ladybug mode. Even though Marinette was just a friend. So he stuttered out, “I-I wouldn’t want that either.”

Marinette stared at Adrien, mouth parting open slightly, before she started talking rapidly. Something clicked in Adrien. This was _not_ Ladybug that he was talking to. But she needed to stop. He was about to ask her to stop when she started going on a totally different tangent, momentarily shocking Adrien again.

“YOUR UMBRELLA! I didn’t give you back your umbrella from the beginning of the school year! I _had_ an umbrella and plenty of reason to bring it. Are you sure you’re okay with getting a new one? Even if you are, I should have returned it because that’s the right thing to do and-”

Knowing he had to do _something_ to stop her rambling, Adrien did the most direct thing he could think of.

He put his finger on her lips to stop.

Marinette went silent immediately and cross-eyed as she focused on his finger. She looked so cute that it took Adrien a moment to remember to speak.“Marinette. It’s okay. Really. You can keep this one, too.”

“But I live just across the street.” She protested.

If she thought that would convince Adrien to take it back, she thought wrong.

“But I only have four meters to walk to my car,” Adrien pointed out. This fortunately seemed to convince her, or at least she didn’t say anything. Not that Adrien would’ve taken “no” for an answer.

“Have a good day, Marinette.” He waved at her in goodbye, then proceeding to his car.

“Y-you too!” She called back.

It didn’t quite feel like a good enough end. Before he could change his mind on it, Adrien turned around to see his classmate staring at him almost adoringly. Before he could think about _that_ too much, he said, “Remember to be careful in the rain, Marinette. If you aren’t, you could slip and fall.”

 _In love_ , his mind helpfully supplied. At least his mouth didn’t convey it as well.

Despite lacking the final comment, Adrien got to see Marinette blush before he turned around to hide his own.

On the car ride home, he had ample time to think about the event. More importantly, his reaction to it.

He felt a lot like when he first fell in love with Ladybug.

DId… did he have a _crush_ on Marinette?

Once he got back to his room, Plagg came zooming out of his shirt. “Are you sure you two aren’t love birds?”

Adrien blushed. The question was obviously referring to the kwami’s comment after Adrien had made amends with Marinette back near the beginning of the school year. “I don’t know, Plagg.”

Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad thing if he did.


	2. Slip

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One shot? Pfft. What's that?  
> Hey look I got an idea.  
> Thank you! Especially everyone who commented. This made me want to continue it all the more.

Adrien finished putting his extra books that he didn't immediately need in his locker, and then closed the door.

Only to see Marinette standing right on the other side of it.

A grin went on his face without even a thought. "Marinette! What's this?"

She was bashfully looking down at the ground. Adrien _finally_ noticed the two black umbrellas that she was holding towards him. "Uhh… yees are Thor's! I mean, these are yours. I'm returning them."

Her shyness and stammering were cute. Adrien shook his head. That didn't matter. He needed to answer her question. "I really don't need these. I have more umbrellas at my own house."

Marinette looked up, eyes startled. She bit her bottom lip.

 _How cute_ , Adrien's inner dialogue once again oh-so-helpfully added. He told it to shut up. He didn't need to develop a crush on Marinette as well as Ladybug.

"But-!" She started to protest and then stopped, as if she hadn't actually come up with an argument.

Adrien was struck with an idea. "How about a compromise? I'll take one and you take the other."

Marinette blinked in surprise, but didn't protest as he took one of them and pushed the other one closer to her.

"Besides," he continued. "It's not like either of us need more than one either." He was feeling his Chat Noir coming out, and didn't resist it when he added a wink.

Marinette's face turned bright red. It looked good on her. She pulled the umbrella closer as if hiding.

Adrien couldn't stand how adorable she was. He felt a small blush rising on his _own_ cheeks, though not nearly as much as hers.

The two were just standing there, almost awkward but not quite, staring at each other.

The silent spell broke when Adrien sneezed.

Marinette startled at that. "Are you okay?"

He nodded. "I'm fine, just caught a chill from the rain yesterday."

Marinette left behind all expression of awe. "I knew it! You should've at least let me walk you to your car yesterday. I'll call my mom and ask her to make you chicken noodle soup…"

Her determination and passion for her friends was admirable. Really, she was quite similar to Ladybug, ready to get things done.

Even if they weren't the same person, though that was an increasingly difficult likelihood to ignore, Marinette had all the qualities that made him fall for Ladybug. He wondered if he wouldn't fall for _her._

* * *

For once, Marinette had woken up before her alarm.

Not that she made the most of the occasion. She laid there, worrying about the school day. "Tikki…" she groaned to her kwami. "I don't think that I can face Adrien."

Tikki came up into the view of her holder. "Why not?"

“He’ll think I’m strange after yesterday…” Marinette complained. Then she started catastrophizing. “What if he realizes that I like him after yesterday? And then he’ll think I’m _nuts_ and he will want nothing to do with me. And we’ll never get married or have three kids and a hamster…”

“Marinette,” TIkki said. “You only think of what could go wrong. And I think that’s a pretty far leap. If he _does_ realize that you like him, which I find unlikely from yesterday’s events, he won’t hate you. Now, come on. You need to get ready for school.”

She listened to her kwami’s advice and got off her bed. Down there, she saw the two umbrellas he had given her.

“I have an idea to thank him, Tikki.”

* * *

 

And you know the rest.

Though Marinette _did_ keep the umbrella he gave her first. It had more sentimental value, being the first time she fell in love.

* * *

 

Adrien thought he might marry Marinette if only because of her parents’ cooking.

She had brought him to her house to have some of the promised freshly made chicken noodle soup. And Adrien swore it was magic, because it felt like it was already making his cold go away.

(He didn’t know it at the moment, but that was actually Tikki’s doing. Plagg, on the other hand, was scavenging Marinette’s house for cheese. He met his prize in the refrigerator.)

Marinette was next to him, apparently making wild gestures at the space beside his head. Adrien looked at her, concerned. “Are you okay?”

She immediately stopped, but didn’t put her hands in normal positions. “Yeah. I’m just… doing yoga!” She kept using her hands and arms, similar but in a decidedly different style, more stretching.

“I thought yoga… involved more of the body. And stretching.”

“It’s a new form,” Marinette defended. Very. Quickly.

She was flustered. Her face was red, she was speaking fast. Adrien decided that he liked it when she was flustered. It was cute.

And _again_ he was thinking things like that. _Sorry Ladybug,_ he pleaded silently. _I know I said I’d be there for you forever, but I can’t seem to stop thinking of my friend as… more than a friend.._

He kept eating his soup. After a minute, Marinette leaned in. Close. Adrien stopped his heart going crazy in his chest in exchange for the blood rushing up to his face.

“Is my mom’s Chicken Noodle Soup that will cure all ailments good?” Marinette asked.

Adrien knew that if he tried answering with words right now he would be utterly incomprehensible. Instead, he just stuck his spoon in the soup and, rather than bringing it up to his mouth, shoved it into hers.

It took her a second to register this, but once she did, her face wasted no time in matching his for redness. That let Adrien regain enough of his wits to speak again. “See for yourself.”

Marinette took out the spoon and did the same thing to him as he had done to her. “Get a taste of your own medicine.”

Was… was that a pun? Or at least wordplay? An extremely tasteful and well-placed one. And it did not help his mental state of freak-out already perpetuated by the indirect kiss.

He may not have fallen in love with Marinette yet, but… he was definitely slipping.

* * *

As for what the kwamis were doing while their humans were freaking out...

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I have a general idea for... three more chapters? We'll see how it goes.  
> And I am freakishly proud of that pun. Or is it more wordplay?


	3. Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An akuma attack. Turns out important.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look it's Marichat.  
> Solely for the purposes of showing how hopeless Adrien/Chat is.

It had been a couple of days since the last akuma attack, so it really wasn't surprising that there was one today. Hawkmoth didn't wait for long.

Chat More quickly found Ladybug, hiding in an alleyway to keep away from the akuma.

She barely sister him a glance. "Glad you're here, Chat. This is some sort of alien enthusiast. I've had my hands full simply trying to keep 'UFO' from abducting people. Can you take him on for a while so that I can use my Lucky Charm?"

Chat nodded. "Anything for you, m'lady."

Ladybug turned to him, Bluebell eyes glistening just like Marinette's. Her grateful smile was somehow exactly the same as Marinette's as well.

He shook his head. He couldn't get lost in thoughts of his classmate that he was slowly falling for. No better way to get it of his head than fighting an akuma.

Chat Noir did just that.

* * *

Marinette considered the options of other miraculouses to help her.

The Lucky Charm had directed her to go to Master Fu to choose another Miraculous to help them. So she had done that, grabbing the fox miraculous. She already had an idea of how an illusion could help.

She looked up and smiled at Master Fu. “Okay. I think we’ll be able to handle this now.”

He nodded at her. “Go now, Marinette. Chat Noir needs you.”

Marinette hardly spared a glance as she rushed out the door. Then she paused right outside the door, realizing that she needed to transform before she could give the miraculous to Alya.

Well… there wasn’t anyone around. Here would work just fine. “Tikki, spots o-”

She was interrupted as she saw a wailing figure rapidly flying towards where she was outside Master Fu’s place. Marinette blinked, realizing that it was Chat Noir. Thinking quickly, she somehow managed to grab his tail, which managed to wrap around a railing, suspending her partner above her head.

For a moment, they just stood there, both of their brains shocked and driven into overload, unable to do anything besides stare at each other until they processed what had just happened in the matter of a few seconds.

It was Chat who finally broke the silence. “Looks like I’ve fallen for you.”

He delivered it smoothly, in his Chat-like self. Except… usually, he wouldn’t say something like that to her as Marinette. And he had acted considerably more subdued towards Ladybug earlier as well.  _ Seriously, Chat? What are you up to? _

Until, of course, the superhero realized exactly what he had just said. His face burned up as he stuttered in an attempt to excuse it. “Uh- um, ah… I mean, like- well, I  _ don’t  _  mean it like  _ that. _ I’m just… and your EYES. Like Ladybug’s. Yeah. And you’re amazi- ahh…  _ yeah. _ ”

Marinette giggled at it. Which made Chat’s face go redder than an apple. But when he was so flustered… it was hilarious to see his typical suave self go so… well, she already said flustered, but that was the only way to describe it. She could only hope that she was never this bad when talking to Adrien.

That probably seemed more than a little rude. “Sorry,” she apologized. Still giggling and unable to keep a straight face. “We better get you down from there.”

Marinette slowly lowered him so that Chat Noir was able to get down in a way that didn’t involve him landing on his head and being subsequently knocked unconscious. That seemed like a fairly bad choice, considering that he was a hero and there was an akuma attack right now and all.

Once both of his feet were safely planted on the ground, Chat rubbed the back of his neck and looked at her sheepishly. “I… well, you helped me out there, from catching me. Heh,  _ cat _ ch. Pun not intended, but totally welcome. And I sorta lost my cool. If you could just not mention that to anyone, that’d be great.”

Marinette had finally managed to reel in her laughter. “I understand, kitty.” Now,  _ that _ was easy to do and say. Why couldn’t she be this way around Adrien? “I wouldn’t want anyone to tell something so embarrassing either. Still, it was just so…”

She trailed off as she some large piece of metal wreckage come flying towards them. “Watch out!” Marinette cried, trying to grab his wrist and pull both of them out of the way.

Apparently, the cat had other plans, because he stood there and easily resisted her pulls, turning to the oncoming oversized scrap metal and nonchalantly saying, “Cataclysm,” holding out his hand. Upon contact, the entire thing immediately dissolved into dust.

Marinette just stared. She barely even registered that she still had a deathgrip on Chat’s hand until he turned back to her and talked.

“Sheesh, Princess.” He had obviously recovered just fine, as his playful tone was back. “I know you love me, but still…”  Then Chat’s eyes widened, realizing what he just said. “I- I mean, ahh…”

She let go, but was still wondering about his reaction. Twice now, about teasing her about him liking her or vice versa and then immediately denying it. If it weren’t such tenuous circumstances, she would ask if  _ he _ loved  _ her _ now, rather than Ladybug.

But as it was… “Why’d you do that?” Marinette groaned. “We could have simply dodged it. But  _ NoOo.  _ You just  _ had _ to use your power- that Ladybug  _ very _ well might need to defeat the akuma, I might add- and put yourself on a timer.”

As if to accentuate her point, the ring gave its first  _ Beep. _

Did the time simply drag out more during the fight? Because that did  _ not  _ feel like a minute.

Chat sighed. “You sound just like Ladybug,” he complained. As if on cue, the worried rambling came up again. “Like in a good way. I mean… she’s amazing,  _ you’re _ amazing…”

He kept digging himself into a deeper and deeper pit, and he knew it too.

But it was a relief on  _ both  _ Chat and Marinette’s parts when the miraculous beeped again. Though it only accentuated the wasted time. Only three minutes left now.

Marinette gave him a stern look. “You need to find somewhere to detransform.  _ Now. _ ”

Chat gave her an equally determined look. “Not until I make sure that you’re safe.”

It was a fair point, so she let him lead her to somewhere to “be safe.” Not that she would stay there. Except that he apparently had plans of his own.

They had just reached the storage closet to use for safety from the akuma when his  _ third _ beep went off. Honestly, Marinette wondered if this “UFO” had some sort of sci-fi powers that allowed it to condense time. Because this was honestly elapsing too fast.

“Alright,” she told Chat. “Go find somewhere else to detransfrom.”

He didn’t budge. “Not until I’m  _ certain _ that you’re safe.”

This cat. Utterly stupid. Did he think that she couldn’t protect herself or anything?

“I’d probably be safer if you went out so that I wouldn’t be at risk of learning your identity.”   
Another  _ beep. _ Marinette decided that it was now her least favorite sound. Especially now that it meant that there were only sixty seconds left.

“Once Ladybug and her backup get here, I’ll do just that.”   
Marinette suppressed a groan. After all, there was no way that  _ he _ could know the impossibility of that happening. “I’m sure that  _ Ladybug _ would agree with me.”  _ Because she  _ is _ me. _

“But-”

A sudden green light appeared in the room.

_ Oh no. _

* * *

“You’re not even a real UFO!” Chat taunted the akuma. Riling it up more to stop it from abducting citizens. “I know what you are. An akuma! So how could you possibly be considered ‘unidentified?’”

Apparently, the akuma was finally fed up with Chat Noir’s teasing. Despite being a flying saucer with perfect rotational symmetry, it somehow seemed to turn towards Chat.

Once the ray was sent towards him, he only had enough time to be concerned, though not to dodge it. Looked like he was going to get abducted, and Paris would have to wait for Ladybug and whatever backup she brought.

Until it hit him, and instead of sucking him in, it sent him flying out. Chat Noir  _ knew _ that couldn’t have been what Hawkmoth wanted.

As embarrassing as it was to admit, Chat screamed at the top of his lungs. It was really uncontrollable. Besides, it accurately conveyed his panic for the painful landing that he knew was coming.

Until it didn’t.  _ Something _ caught his tail, halting him to a stop, though his momentum kept him swinging. All he was able to register were those  _ beautiful bluebell eyes. _ Of  _ course _ Ladybug would come and rescue him. So without even thinking about it, he suavely said, “Looks like I’ve fallen for you.”

There was no response. Finally, Chat’s swinging came to a stop, and he was able to get a good look at his rescuer. It was one Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Frowning.

Oh dear. What should he do? Because this was  _ not _ a good situation.

Chat felt his face heat up in embarrassment. And it  _ really _ didn’t help that it was  _ Marinette, _ the girl he had been falling for lately(Nor was being upside down and the blood rushing to his head). “Uh- um, ah…” he stalled. Though he needed to give her  _ some _ explanation. “I mean, like- well, I  _ don’t  _  mean it like  _ that. _ ” Almost true. He  _ did _ like her like that, and could probably completely say that he had completely fallen for her at this point, even if it  _ were _ only in two days. “I’m just… and your EYES. Like Ladybug’s.” That was a good explanation. “Yeah. And you’re amazi-” Nevermind. Telling her how amazing she was would be coming off a little strong. “Ahh…  _ yeah. _ ”

_ Ten out of ten for ending on a strong note, _ Chat’s inner dialogue provided, sounding suspiciously like Plagg.

Marinette started giggling. Even though it was certainly at his expense, Chat almost didn’t mind, because it was so adorable. Which, of course, took away any pigment of skin on his face that was somehow not  _ already _ red and converting it to that color. She was  _ entirely _ too adorable.

“Sorry,” she finally apologized, apparently realizing what a predicament he was in. “We better get you down from there.”

She started letting his tail slack, allowing him to brace himself against the railing and some to the ground beside her.

His face was almost passable as a normal coloring. Not quite, of course, but still… not to mention the embarrassment of the whole thing. Chat’s hand went to the back of his neck as he smiled uncertainly at her. “I… well, you helped me out there, from catching me. Heh,  _ cat _ ch. Pun not intended, but totally welcome. And I sorta lost my cool. If you could just not mention that to anyone, that’d be great.”

“I understand, kitty.”  _ Kitty?  _ Only Ladybug called him that. Not that he minded her doing that... “I wouldn’t want anyone to tell something so embarrassing either. Still, it was just so…”

Right. She was a klutz. Which explained two days ago. Also when he started realizing just  _ how _ much he liked her.

Of course, he didn’t realize  _ why _ she had trailed off, or that it wasn’t intentional at all, until Marinette grabbed his wrist and called, “Watch out!”

Quickly following her gaze, Chat saw a giant sheet of metal- probably torn up by the akuma- hurtling towards them. 

Good. Needing to be his superhero self would let him snap out of his fluster from being around Marinette. So Chat Noir ignored the tugging on his arm and turned towards the challenge. “Cataclysm!”

After the danger passed, he realized that was probably not the smartest decision. Now he only had five minutes left, and if Ladybug couldn’t use his power once she got back.

But at least he was back to his usual self. As he turned back to Marinette, he even managed not to get flustered again.

Though she  _ was _ still holding onto his wrist like her life depended on it.

“Sheesh, Princess. I know you love me, but still…”

He did  _ not _ just say that. Chat was used to flirting with Ladybug, but Marinette was a whole other matter. “I- I mean, ahh…”

Marinette groaned. Oh dear. Did she realizing that he was starting to like her? She seemed more playful around Chat Noir, but was getting better around Adrien. He’d like a relationship as his civilian self better, if he could.

And  _ why _ was he thinking about a relationship with her right  _ now _ of all times? Especially when he wasn’t sure if she liked  _ either _ side of him.

Fortunately for him, Marinette seemed to be having her own inner dialogue going on right then as well, so she didn’t seem to notice his absent-mindedness. “Why’d you do that?” she demanded. “We could have simply dodged it. But  _ NoOo.  _ You just  _ had _ to use your power- that Ladybug  _ very _ well might need to defeat the akuma, I might add- and put yourself on a timer.”

She had a point. But Chat had wanted to make sure that Marinette was safe. So he would argue over the reason, except-

As if to accentuate her point, the ring gave its first  _ Beep. _

Alright. Chat would have to concede that point, then. He sighed, relenting. “You sound just like Ladybug,” he complained.

Wait. Was that coming off to strong. He  _ knew _ that Marinette knew that he loved Ladybug, because he had told her. So what if she thought that meant he loved  _ her _ too? Well, he did, but he didn’t want to tell her like  _ this _ . “Like in a good way. I mean… she’s amazing,  _ you’re _ amazing…”

Chat probably went on saying more or less that same thing for the next minute. He kept digging himself into a deeper and deeper pit, and he knew it too.

But it was a relief on  _ both  _ of them when his ring beeped again. Though it only accounted for how much time they had wasted. Chat better get Marinette to safety so that he could detransform elsewhere.

Marinette must have had the same thoughts, because she gave him a stern look. “You need to find somewhere to detransform.” Somehow, that intense glare seemed to harden further. “ _ Now. _ ”

Chat attempted to match her look. “Not until I make sure that you’re safe.”

He was a superhero. So he totally had authority to do that, right?  _ Right? _ Why was it that  _ everything  _ about this girl was making him second-guess himself. At least very  _ lately. _

At least she seemed to agree with this point well enough to let herself be led away. There. That closet looked well enough.

His ring  _ beeped _ for the third time. Two minutes.

“Alright,” Marinette said. “Go find somewhere else to detransfrom.”

Suddenly, Chat felt as though this wasn’t nearly safe enough. There was an  _ akuma _ out there. He needed to protect his Princess. “Not until I’m  _ certain _ that you’re safe.”

“I’d probably be safer if you went out so that I wouldn’t be at risk of learning your identity.”

What an idiotic reason. Besides, after Ladybug, if there was anyone that Chat would trust his identity with, it was Marinette.   
Another  _ beep. _ Less than a minutes left.

“Once Ladybug and her backup get here, I’ll do just that.” He just needed for her to be safe. Couldn’t she  _ understand _ that?   
There was a tense silence for a moment. “I’m sure that  _ Ladybug _ would agree with me.”

Chat did  _ not _ need help making comparisons between her and Ladybug. Honestly, the entire thing was frustrating. Besides it being a moot point, considering his reasons. “But-”

A sudden green light appeared in the room.

_ Oh no. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look. It's a cliffhanger.  
> BUT I have an idea for the next chapter already, so I don't have to sit around waiting for inspiration.  
> While I love the dual perspectives thing, it takes so long to write... main reason why I skipped out on it chapter two.  
> Thanks for reading!


	4. Catch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Sneaks back after a nearly 6 month hiatus*   
> "You want some new content?"

Luckily, it was dark in the closet, so Marinette couldn't see who Chat Noir was. Not that her hands covering her eyes didn't help.

She was surprised to hear a groan from Chat before she was able to herself. "Ladybug is _so_ going to kill me."

 _You bet I am,_ Marinette thought. Aloud, she voiced, "Maybe you can leave. I haven't seen who you are yet."

"No," Chat said. "I'll still protect you until Ladybug shows up on the scene."

Yeah, _no._ He wasn't.

"Doesn't seem as effective without your suit on," Marinette muttered. And that was _without_ noting the fact that she was Ladybug and very capable of defending herself, thank you very much. “You should leave, and I’ll stay safe here.”

“Fine,” Chat relented. _Finally._ "I need to recharge my k- _self!_ Recharge myself, so that I can transform into Chat Noir again. Stay safe, Princess.”

Marinette nodded, trying to get him to leave. “I will, I will. Now _leave.”_ _  
_ She heard the door open and shut, and only _then_ did Marinette remove her hands from her eyes and sigh in relief.

“Tikki, Chat is going to be the death of me,” she groaned.

Tikki nodded solemnly in agreement. “He certainly wasn’t being careful with his identity. If you were anyone else, that could have ended poorly.”

Marinette let out a breath. “And the delay was annoying. If he hadn’t insisted on ‘protecting’ me, I could’ve already gotten the fox miraculous to Alya and we’d be that much closer to defeating the akuma by now.”

“Let’s get that done _now_ , then.”

Oh. Right. Marinette got so carried away ranting about the problem that she forgot what she had been wanting to do all along. Chat had _ample_ time to have left by now. “I’m just going to check to make sure that no one’s around first.

Marinette opened the closet door carefully. And came nose-to-nose with Adrien Agreste.

He grinned. _The nerve._

“I thought you were going to hide in there until the attack passed, princess. Or should I say, _milady?”_

* * *

In hindsight, Adrien was _incredibly_ lucky that it _was_ Marinette that he got into that situation with. Granted, if it wasn't _Marinette_ , he might not have been there in the first place. But at least he was confident that his identity was safe with her looking.

Though, as he left, Adrien was still worried. She _did_ have a point about not being as easily able to protect her without his powers, but he still wasn't about to leave her alone.

He didn't have any cheese for Plagg, so he simply ignored the kwami's pleas for the stinky stuff. It could wait until… well, Adrien didn't have all the details of his plan ironed out yet, okay? He would think of _something,_ eventually at the very least.

So he leaned back against the wall by the closet. And Adrien would've sworn that his ears were open for danger, but… he ended up over hearing anyhow.

Not exactly that he expected Marinette to talk at all, but it wasn't long before the muffled voices reached his ears.

“Tikki, Chat is going to be the death of me,” she groaned.

He vaguely registered Tikki's response, but mostly was fixated on processing what he just heard. _Tikki_. That… that had to be her kwami, right? He wasn't quite sure yet. It could just be… an unusual name for a pet rock?

Who was he kidding? Marinette was Ladybug. That was the most likely option.

Wait. _Marinette was Ladybug_ . The two girls he loved were one and the same. How could he be so incredibly lucky? True, Adrien wasn't sure that she liked _either_ side of him, but at least now he didn't have to worry about deciding which girl to pursue.

The door opened, and he got to see those beautiful Bluebell eyes again, no longer so confusing. Adrien broke out into a grin.

In his defense, he couldn't help himself. Despite the frown on her face, he was just so completely happy that he couldn't help letting his Chat side take over and say, “I thought you were going to hide in there until the attack passed, princess. Or should I say, _milady?”_

As soon as he said it, Adrien knew that he shouldn’t have.

First of all, telling the very person who always insisted on keeping their identities secret that he knew her identity wasn’t the greatest move ever. Second of all, the manner in which he said it absolutely gave away his identity. Third of all, she had to have guessed that he eavesdropped on her conversation with her kwami to learn that crucial piece of information (which he had).

Fourth of all-

Ladybug was just going to kill him, alright? No need to go into detail about it.

Marinette’s breath seemed to catch. Then she _scowled._ “If you didn’t already know that I’m going to kill you, I’d tell you that right now.” She sighed. “What does your kwami need to recharge?”

That… was unexpected. Granted, she was probably only delaying because she needed her partner to help with UFO.

“Camembert, but I ran ou-”

Marinette abruptly turned in the other direction, her hand grabbing his shirt, dragging him along while she started to walk. “We’ll see if Master Fu has any on hand.”

The name caught Adrien off guard. “Master Fu…?”

He trailed off as Marinette knocked on a door and it was answered by… well, Master Fu.

"Marinette? Adrien? What are you…?"

She took a deep breath. "Let's just say, _the cat's out of the bag._ " Adrien could've fallen in love all over again for the pun alone. "We need cheese. Do you have any?"

Master Fu nodded. "Just a moment."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was... strange to get back into writing this after, well, the second half of season 3. Besides the obvious finale being totally different, I noticed that kwami buster assures Chat that Marinette knows what kwami was. But this was written before that came out, so I'm keeping the line, "I need to recharge my k- _self!_ "   
> The joys of writing fanfics _during_ seasons. Sigh.  
> Hope you enjoy the update. I hope to post the next (and last!) chapter soon in order to stop this fic from haunting me, but I also really need to stop making promises about updating fics, because I rarely keep them, due to a severe lack of an attention span.


	5. In Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A happy ending. Whoo!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, look. I _can_ keep up on my promises sometimes.  
> So here's to resolving everything.  
>  ~~I actually finished this Saturday night, but it was late enough I didn't feel like posting, so...~~

Biting your fingers so much that you never had to clip them probably  _ wasn't  _ the healthiest thing, but Marinette was worrying so much that she just  _ didn’t _ care.

The fight had gone well after recruiting help…  _ easy, _ even. Still, it had left Chat No- Adrien? Ch-? Ad-?  _ Chat.  _ It had left  _ Chat Noir _ with not enough time left to linger around, while Ladybug had to stay to collect and return the borrowed Miraculous.

So they still hadn’t discussed… well, the reveal. Marinette was full of questions and uncertainty, the least of which was whether she should think of him as Adrien, or Chat, or… Chatdrien? Actually, scratch that last one. It was just  _ weird. _

Marinette sighed and put her head in her hands. She knew that once the akuma attack had ended and regular life had resumed, Adrien went straight back to fencing, then basketball, then to his Chinese lesson, then a photoshoot… 

The point is, they really didn’t have a chance until that night. And Marinette was unsure if she should visit him, call him, wait until school tomorrow, or pretend nothing had happened and wait for Adrien Chat _Adrien_ to make the first move.

“There ought to be a manual on what to do,” Marinette grumbled for what must’ve been the fiftieth time that night.

Tikki looked up from where she had been munching on a cookie. “I’m sorry about this Marinette, but every Ladybug and Black Cat need to figure it out for themselves.”

The teenage girl still pouted. “Doesn’t make it any easier. The only bright side to this is that it means Adrien  _ definitely _ likes me.” She perked up. “He likes me! I need to go let him know that  _ I  _ like  _ him  _ right away. Tikki-!”

“Wait!” the kwami abandoned her snack and flew in front of her to stop the transformation. “Adrien may know who you are now, but you two still need to make sure that  _ both _ your identities are safe from Hawk Moth. I don’t advise going to see him now.”

Marinette frowned before sitting back down. “I guess you’re right. Especially since I would probably detransform the moment I went over there.”

For just about the first time ever, Marinette couldn’t wait for school the next day.

* * *

Adrien had similar worries that night. That is, once he wasn’t busy and had time to think. The only notable differences were that he was also worried about whether she loved him or not and that his kwami was much less empathetic.

But while his troubled thoughts and uncertainties, he  _ did _ come up with a plan for school the next day. Well, it wouldn’t exactly start at school, knowing Marinette’s penchant for being late. But all Nathalie needed to know was that he was going to go to school early tomorrow.

* * *

Nathalie and the Gorilla were a bit confused by the request, but were perfectly willing to accomodate Adrien.

Once he was dropped off, Adrien began heading up the steps until he was certain that the Gorilla had gone far enough away that he wouldn’t see him. Actually, he wouldn’t have minded being dropped off at Marinette’s house directly, but he couldn’t figure out how to justify why he wanted to go to a  _ bakery _ for a reason other than cheating on his diet. Not that he would mind that…

It didn’t take long to get there, of course. But what  _ did _ take him by surprise was that as he was about to walk through the door, he practically crashed right into Marinette.

She starting speaking first. “Sorry! Sorry! I’m such a klutz! I wasn’t watching where I was-”

Then they made eye contact. Marinette must not have been expecting it to be  _ him,  _ and-

She had her hair down. Adrien had thought that she was beautiful  _ before,  _ but it was even more without the restraints of her pigtails.

He exhaled. “Marinette…”

Adrien could’ve sworn Marinette squeaked. “Adrien!” Then she grimaced. “Er- Chat? Adrien? Er-”

He held up his hands. “It’s fine, Marinette. And it’s easier to just call each other which form they are in at the moment, besides protecting our identities.”

She nodded, seeming to agree and accept it. “Oh! You probably wanted to go to the bakery.” She moved to get out of his way.

Adrien shook his head and took a step back. “Actually, I just wanted to see you. Well, I wouldn’t have minded a croissant, but that wasn’t the real reason.”

Marinette’s face flushed at that. “I, um… uh-” She turned away, not saying anything, until she very suddenly  _ did. _ “I… wanted to go to school early. Yep. I’m going to go.”

With hardly any warning, Marinette started speed walking across the street, taking Adrien by surprise. It took him a moment to react, but she was going fast enough that he didn’t catch up until they got to the locker room.

Marinette was hurriedly putting in the code for her locker, and was opening it when Adrien stepped in front of it and closed it before she could finish.

“Can we talk?”

She looked away, face going redder than what was left from her earlier blush. Pink was  _ definitely _ a good color on her, and he liked seeing her like that. “Uh…” She bit her lip.

“Please?” Adrien sighed. “We haven’t had a chance to talk properly after the akuma attack.”

Marinette looked up then, still avoiding eye contact. “But-”

“The locker room is empty except for us,” he interrupted before she could protest further. “There’s no excuse.”

She sighed, looking down and finally met his eyes. “Fine. Just let me put my stuff in the locker first.” Adrien frowned. “Please?”

He relented. “I’ll do the same. But then,  _ we’re talking.” _

* * *

When Marinette woke up that morning, she was still anxious to get to school.

She woke up early, got dressed, did her hair- albeit with her newfound confidence, she kept it down, had breakfast, and headed off to school so that she could confess to Adrien and then they could get married, have three kids, and a hamster named-

Marinette crashed into something- no, some _ one. _ Luckily, neither of them fell, so she simply had to back up to come away from the accident. “Sorry! Sorry! I’m such a klutz! I wasn’t watching where I was-”

Then she looked up and made eye contact with Adrien. Chat?

And all her confidence went out the window, her mind busy at work catastrophizing.  _ What if he doesn’t like me anymore? What if he doesn’t like Marinette? What if he moved on? When was the last time he confessed to Ladybug, again? What if…? _

Because as comfortable she was with Chat, and as much as she had been improving with Adrien, he was still  _ Adrien. _

So she tried to escape. Better never to ask than be rejected. Because Marinette couldn’t risk making her friendship awkward with either of them, and  _ especially  _ not since she knew it was  _ both. _

But he finally made her talk. And, well, she supposed they  _ had _ to talk, at least about knowing each other’s identities, and the implications that would have.

Marinette closed her locker, and sat down on one of the benches in the middle of the room. She was still  _ vastly  _ uncertain about… well, everything, so she kept her head down, refusing to meet his eyes again, letting him be the first to speak.

Adrien sat down next to her, which was bizarrely far too close and not close enough at the same time. “So you’re Ladybug…” he began.

She nodded, still not looking up.

“...who I’m madly in love with.”

That made Marinette jerk her head up to see his dazzling smile with Chat Noir-esque cheekiness to it that would have made her think he was joking if it weren’t for that tender look in his gorgeous green eyes.

She didn’t need a mirror to tell her how her face could’ve rivaled her suit at that moment.

“You- you do?” Maybe she didn’t need to waste all that energy catastrophizing.

Adrien nodded. “But… then my heart split in two, because there was this other girl I started liking.”

Marinette deflated, but managed to keep her head held up.

“I’ve always liked her to some degree, and might’ve pursued something more with her if not for how much my love for Ladybug blinded everything else. But then one day…” He paused here, she assumed, for dramatic effect. “It was raining. She had forgotten her umbrella, and was dashing to get home.”

Marinette’s breath hitched. Could she dare to hope…?

Adrien continued with his story. “Well, after what happened there, I started to notice how amazing, and kind, and sweet, and lovable she was. Not to mention her similarities to Ladybug. I gave her some advice there. I’m not sure if she ever followed it, but I know I sure didn’t. I warned her to be careful in the rain, because she might slip and fall. But there was one thing I  _ didn’t _ add- at least, not aloud.”

Somehow, Adrien’s expression became more earnest and honest than before. “Because I  _ did _ slip and fall… in love with Marinette.”

Marinette knew that now it was her turn to respond. “I haven’t had any trouble with rain since you gave me that advice… but even when you said it, it was too late, because I had already slipped and fallen in love long before then. In fact, when it rained the day after I met him.”

Adrien blinked. “Wait. Are you saying-?”

“-that I’ve been madly in love with Adrien almost since the day I met him, and probably would’ve given Chat Noir a chance if it weren’t for that?” she filled in. “Yup.”

Now it was  _ his  _ turn to blush. “I… uh-” He reached back behind his head nervously. “So… I guess this is as good a time as any to ask if you’ll be my girlfriend.”

“Hmm…” Marinette tapped her chin, as if seriously thinking about it. “Only if you’ll be my boyfriend.”

“Done.” Adrien pulled her into a hug, and she laughed into his chest. This morning had certainly been an emotional rollercoaster, but this… this was worth it. Being with Adrien now, her kitty… she wouldn’t give this up for the world.

After a moment, their laughter faded into a comfortable silence, broken by Adrien. “So, does the Reveal TM  change anything for our status as Ladybug and Chat Noir?”

“If you mean besides the fact that they’re dating now, nothing that can’t wait to be discussed with Master Fu.”

Adrien chuckled. “My thoughts exactly.”

~~~~

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I once read in a manga that a kiss is a cheap way to end something. So this feels fitting enough of an ending. The dorks need time to get comfortable with each other.  
> Thanks for reading!  
>  ~~Now this can _finally_ stop haunting me. ~~

**Author's Note:**

> If anyone's interested, I might continue this sometime. Because this actually seems really interesting. I just don't know how I would continue.


End file.
